Online medical supplies store

Carers and families ordering for older relatives, people recovering at home, and small care providers restocking consumables.

Product margin on each order, with repeat orders for consumables and optional subscriptions for items used regularly.

• Setting up and running an online shop
• Clear, kind communication with worried buyers
• Order handling and shipping

• Check which products count as medical devices and what Health Canada expects of sellers
• Avoid health claims you can't support and make clear your staff are not giving medical advice
• Home-based business licence rules if you store stock at home, check with your municipality
• GST/HST and provincial sales tax rules for online sales across provinces
• Product liability and commercial general liability insurance
• Shipping bulky items such as walkers can be costly, so check rates before pricing

Startup costs are estimates, typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on stock, website setup and whether you dropship. Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on your niche and how many orders you ship.

Check which products count as medical devices and what Health Canada expects of sellers. Avoid health claims you can't support, make clear staff aren't giving medical advice, and check GST/HST and provincial sales tax rules plus liability insurance.

The idea suggests at least about 12 hours a week, covering order handling, shipping and phone or chat support for buyers. Time needed depends on your order volume and whether you hold stock or dropship.